Untitled
by Draven Star
Summary: on hiatus - Luke considers joining Vader after the ESB events. Meanwhile, Leia becomes suspicious of their new friend, Padme.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or any original characters and dialogue from the movies and books.

Author's note: I deleted my other Untitled story since I didn't like the way it was going. This one is untitled for now.

Also, some of the dividers/lines that I use between scenes have not been showing up. I've fixed them but if any of the chapters run together, that's why.

**Chapter One**

Leia was standing outside of a small, two-level apartment building on Tattooine, waiting for Luke. One of the apartments was owned by a Togruta couple who used to be friends with his aunt and uncle. He, Leia, and Chewbacca were staying there for now. Lando and a few of the other Rebels were going to meet them here in two weeks.

Leia turned around as someone came out of the building. It was Chewbacca.

"Have you heard from Luke?" she asked. "He told me he would be back in an hour or so."

Earlier, he had gone to talk to the couple that owned the apartments, who lived on the other side of Mos Eisley. He said that they had found a few things in the ruins of his aunt and uncle's house, not long after he and Obi-wan left three years ago.

Chewbacca said no. Leia waited a minute, then decided to go back inside. The building was in one of the only decent parts of Mos Eisley, but she still didn't like to stay outside for very long. Someone might recognize her.

Suddenly she heard a speeder approaching from the other side of the building. She and Chewbacca walked around and saw Luke in the distance.

"I was worried about you," Leia said when he stopped.

"The speeder was acting up. I had to fix it," he said quietly.

There was a datapad sitting beside him on the front seat. He stared at it for a moment, then glanced at his prosthetic hand. It had been a month since Darth Vader attacked him at Cloud City.

"Are you alright?" asked Leia.

"Let's go inside," was all he said. He picked up the datapad and got out of the speeder.

She guessed that visiting Owen and Beru's friends had upset him. She didn't say anything else as they went inside.

* * *

Padme opened her eyes as the entry ramp of the ship opened. She had been resting in the bench seat behind the cockpit while waiting for Vader to arrive in his TIE fighter.

"Did your spy meet with you?" she asked, standing up as he walked over to her.

"Yes," he answered. "Calrissian left Tattooine in the Millenium Falcon yesterday. Luke and Leia do not have any other ship with them. They will most likely stay there until he returns."

"I hope so," Padme said. She had brought their personal ship to Geonosis earlier. She was going to spend the day on Tattooine tomorrow and watch the twins, and try to find out where they were going next. Vader would wait here so that Luke wouldn't feel his presence.

She moved closer and rested her head on his armor for a minute. Obi-wan had knocked him into a pool of lava once during their fight on Mustafar. He had lost his hair and had several burned areas on his skin. Most of them had healed over the years, and he could breathe without his mask, but he still wore the armor for protection when he and Padme were away from their home.

A week after she let Obi-wan and Bail Organa take the twins, she returned to Coruscant in a ship that Bail had given her. As soon as she landed in an area near the Jedi Temple ruins, several Clone troopers approached her and took her to Darth Vader. She told him that she wanted to stay with him, which was true. She had been terrified when he Force-choked her on Mustafar, but she still believed that there was some good in him. She wanted to reach out to him by showing that she had decided to come back, even though she did not support the Empire.

"What if they go to another part of Tattooine?" Padme asked, thinking about the twins. "I won't be able to follow them without looking suspicious."

"Stay in Mos Eisley. Attach the tracking device to their speeder if you have a chance," Vader said. "If they do leave the city, I will easily be able to find them without drawing a lot of attention."

Padme was surprised that he was considering going to Tattooine. She wondered if he had been thinking about his mother while they discussed their plan, but didn't ask.

"Alright," she said softly, touching his arm. He had probably guessed that she thought the twins could convince him to leave the Empire, although he hadn't said that. She was relieved. She wanted to avoid talking about it until after Luke and Leia were with them.

* * *

Later that night, Luke tried to mentally reach Vader.

_Father? _he asked.

_You have accepted the truth_, Vader replied. He had removed his armor and was sitting on the edge of the bed in the ship's back room. Padme was asleep behind him.

_Do I have a sister?_ Luke asked, without giving a response to what he had just said.

_How do you know that?_

_I looked at a file on a datapad that...someone used to own. I'm not telling you who._

_Tell me where you are_, Vader said, not wanting to reveal that he already knew where his son was. _I am not with the Emperor or any Imperial officers. We can talk alone_.

Luke didn't answer.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

The next morning, Luke knocked on the door to the bedroom. The apartment only had one, so he and Chewbacca stayed in the living room.

"Good morning," Leia said quietly when she opened the door. She sounded as if she had been crying.

Luke hugged her. "As soon as Lando comes back, we can start searching for Han."

"I know." She sighed. "Are you alright?"

Luke was silent for a moment. Yesterday, before he returned to the apartment, he had looked at some of the files on the datapad that had belonged to Beru. He found a copy of a note that she had sent to Bail Organa's wife, which mentioned Luke's sister, Leia.

"Yes," he said as they walked into the kitchen area. He decided not to tell her everything right now. She was already devasted because of the situation with Han.

He remembered what Darth Vader said when they mentally talked last night. He seemed to know that Luke had a sister, but he hadn't mentioned Leia herself.

"Where did Chewie go?"

"He's looking at the speeder. He wants to make sure no one messed with it," Luke said. "I heard some noise last night, but I didn't see anything when I went out."

He had been lying last night when he told Chewbacca that he heard something outside. He had actually wanted to be alone when he spoke to Vader.

He felt angry after talking to his father. Yoda and Obi-wan hadn't told him that he had a twin sister - and they hadn't told him the truth about Vader, either. He had considered going back to Dagobah after the meeting with the other Rebels, but he wondered if Yoda would explain anything to him. So far, he hadn't tried to speak with Obi-wan.

* * *

Padme left the ship in a landing area outside of Mos Eisley. She paid the owner to let her keep it there for two days, even though she wasn't planning to stay overnight.

She pulled the hood of her light blue cloak over her head. Although she was fifty now, she only had a couple of faint lines on her face and hadn't gotten many gray hairs. Before leaving Geonosis earlier, she had added temporary dye to her hair, which made it a lighter shade of brown. She knew that the twins thought she was dead, but she wanted to disguise herself in case anybody else might recognize her.

"Leia!" a male voice called.

She stopped and looked around. It was a Twi'lek. He was looking at a female Nautolan as she came out of her ship. There weren't any human women around.

Padme sighed and walked into Mos Eisley. She didn't like spying on the twins. She wanted to find them and tell them everything right away, but she knew that wasn't a good idea. Luke probably wouldn't want to see Vader, and Padme wasn't sure if he had told Leia anything about their family.

_Luke talked to Vader last night,_ she thought. Vader had told her about it this morning. _Why didn't he ask Yoda about his sister instead?_

Suddenly, she noticed a Wookie on the other side of the street. Before she could tell if he was Chewbacca, he went around the side of a building.

* * *

"Thank you, Lando," Leia said. She turned off her handheld holoprojector.

She and Luke were standing in front of the speeders that were parked behind the building. No one else was around at the moment.

"Leia, I want to talk to you about something," Luke said, resting his hand on her shoulder.

"What is it?" she asked.

Chewbacca appeared from the side of the building.

"Lando just contacted us," she told him. "He talked to our spy that went to Cloud City. She didn't learn anything about where the bounty hunter could have gone. What were you going to say, Luke?"

Luke started to answer, but then a human woman also came to the back of the building. She walked over to a speeder bike that was parked nearby.

"I want to talk to...that person I met at Cloud City," Luke said.

They seemed to understand that he was referring to Vader. The woman most likely wasn't paying attention to them, but he still didn't want to mention Vader's name.

Chewbacca growled.

"He might know where our friend is," Luke added.

"No!" Leia snapped. Then she lowered her voice. "Let's go inside and discuss this."

Luke hesitated. He looked at the woman near the speeder bike. She had just been standing beside it while they were talking. He wondered why she hadn't left yet.

"Is something wrong?" he asked.

She glanced at him. "I'm waiting for someone."

He sensed that she was lying, but he wasn't suspicious of her. She probably didn't want to talk to a stranger. He turned and followed Leia and Chewbacca inside.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

After Luke, Leia, and Chewbacca went inside, Padme returned to her ship and contacted Vader on her handheld holoprojector. She was sure that he was the person Luke was referring to when talking to Leia, since his sister hadn't liked the suggestion.

"I will try to reach him later," Vader said after she told him everything. "Do you know if he has told Leia about me?"

"I don't think he wants to tell her while Chewbacca is around," Padme replied, feeling a little worried. She was glad that Luke wanted to talk to his father, and she wanted to defeat the Emperor, but she didn't like the idea of her children being interested in the Sith. She wondered if Luke had told Leia that she was Force-sensitive.

"I want to keep watching them until tomorrow," she added. "I will let you know if Luke leaves Tattooine."

Vader was quiet for a moment. "Stay inside your ship once it is dark outside. The Tusken Raiders may come close to Mos Eisley at night."

_"I killed them. I killed them all."_

"I know," Padme said softly, thinking about Shmi. "I love you."

She turned the holoprojector off, then left the ship.

* * *

Once they were inside the apartment, Leia sat down on the small couch. Other than that and the viewscreen on the wall, the living room was bare. Since they were only staying here for two weeks, they hadn't bought anything.

"Why would you want to talk to Darth Vader?" she asked Luke.

"He wants me to join the Empire, so he'll be willing to meet with me. He might know where the bounty hunter took Han," Luke answered.

Chewbacca said that he didn't like the idea.

"I don't like it, either." Leia sighed. "Luke, he isn't going to tell you anything about Han unless you agree to join him - and if you _did_ join him, he would want you to forget about us."

Luke had thought about that already. He actually didn't want to ask Vader about the bounty hunter, but he was trying to think of a reason to make Chewbacca and Leia stay here in case he decided to leave. He had been considering his father's offer to meet with him alone, although he was still cautious.

"You're right," he muttered, glancing at his prosthetic hand. "Forget that I mentioned it. I'm just worried about Han."

"So am I," said Leia. She stood and hugged him. "I'm going to go rest for a little while. I couldn't sleep last night."

"Alright. I'll be back later."

Chewbacca asked where Luke was going.

"I want to fix something on the speeder," he lied.

Leia looked at him. "Didn't you stop and repair it after you visited your uncle's friends yesterday?"

"Yes, but I want to take it out to the desert and see how it's running."

"Alright. Be careful." Leia went to the bedroom.

Chewbacca said that he would stay and watch the apartment until Luke came back.

* * *

Padme walked through a couple of Mos Eisley's streets for about an hour. She glanced at the front of Luke and Leia's building often, but didn't see either of them. Finally, she decided to go back to the ship until later. She was worried that someone would notice she had been wandering around.

She went to the landing area and was near her ship when she suddenly heard a lightsaber nearby. It sounded as if someone had just ignited it.

She turned around and saw Mara Jade sitting on a speeder bike, facing the opposite direction. She was holding the lightsaber with blade pointing toward the ground, and appeared to be looking at something on the handle. After a few seconds, she turned it off.

_The Emperor must have sent her_, Padme thought, frightened. _He knows that Luke is on Tattooine._

Vader had told her about Mara, and she had seen the girl at the Emperor's palace a couple of times. She occasionally went there with Vader even though Palpatine mostly ignored her. Mara had never talked to her before.

Mara clipped her lightsaber to her belt and dismounted the speeder bike. She saw Padme.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, walking over. She sounded polite, but she could be acting.

"I'm staying here for the night, while Vader is at the base on Geonosis," Padme whispered. She looked around. There were a few other people nearby, but no one was close enough to hear them talking.

"He wanted you to wait for him on another planet?"

"Some of my family is here. What about you?"

"My ship's hyperdrive is damaged. I had to stop and have it repaired."

"Oh." Padme wanted to get away from her as quickly as possible. She could be lying about her ship.

_If she's been spying on the Luke, she could have found out that he and Leia are twins._

Mara stared at Padme, probably sensing that she was nervous.

"I should go," she added. "I told Vader I would let him know when I arrived."

She had told him that - yesterday - so Mara wouldn't detect any dishonesty.

Mara smiled. "It was nice to speak to you."

Without saying anything else, Padme turned and went back into Mos Eisley.

* * *

She found a small diner that looked somewhat clean. There was an empty table along the back wall. She sat down and ordered bantha steak, even though she wasn'thungry. She had to contact Vader and tell him about Mara, but the girl was probably still near the landing area. Padme wanted to stay away from her.

"Are you alright?" Luke asked.

Padme looked up and saw him standing near the table.

"No," she said. She sighed, wondering if he had seen her walking through the streets near the apartment building.

"Were you really waiting for someone when I saw you earlier?" he asked, in a gentle tone.

She hesitated. "No, but I wasn't trying to bother you. I..."

"What is it?"

"I think someone is following me," Padme answered, thinking about Mara. She wished the twins would leave Tattooine. Mara could have already contacted the Emperor and reported that Luke was here.

"Do you know who we are?" he whispered.

"I've seen Princess Leia before." Padme knew that didn't really answer his question, but hopefully he would think that she only knew about Leia, not him or Chewbacca.

"Who is following you?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"I'll take you to Leia if you want," Luke offered. "Maybe she can help. You shouldn't be alone if someone might be watching you."

"I would like that," Padme said. "Thank you."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

Before they left the diner, the woman asked Luke if they could go to her ship for a moment. She wanted to contact her husband on the holoprojector and let him know that she was safe.

As they walked toward the landing area, he quietly asked her what her name was.

"Padme," she whispered.

"That's my mother's name."

"Do your parents live here?"

"My mother is dead. My father doesn't live here anymore," Luke answered, thinking about Darth Vader. He knew it was not a good idea to invite a stranger to stay with him, Leia, and Chewbacca while they were trying to hide - especially if Padme was also in some kind of danger - but he wanted to find out how she knew them. She had only mentioned seeing Leia, but she seemed to recognize him as well.

He suddenly sensed a lot of sadness in her, but didn't ask her about it. He guessed that she was worried about her husband.

* * *

Padme was relieved when they reached the ship. Luke told her that he would wait outside and see if anyone appeared to be watching them. He was being friendly, but she was sure that he was also wary of her. He would want to know why she had been listening to him, Leia, and Chewbacca earlier.

After she let Vader know that she was going to be with the twins - and that Mara Jade was on Tattooine - she and Luke walked back to the apartment building. They mostly talked about Mos Eisley and Mos Espa. He didn't ask her anything about herself.

_He'll probably question me later, when we aren't in public_, she thought. She didn't know what to do. He would detect that a lot of her answers were dishonest.

Inside the apartment, Leia was standing in the living room, talking to Chewbacca. She stared at Padme for a moment, but didn't seem to recognize her.

"This is Padme," Luke told them. "She might need our help."

"Do you know us?" Leia asked, glancing at Luke. She didn't seem to like the idea of him bringing a stranger here.

"I haven't met you before, Your Highness," Padme explained, "but I've seen you on Alderaan."

She hadn't actually seen her daughter there, but a couple of Vader's spies occasionally watched her in the years before the planet was destroyed. They often sent him images of her and the Organas.

"Oh," Leia said softly, sounding a little more relaxed.

"I'll be back soon," Luke told them. "I still have to repair the speeder."

Chewbacca said something to him, then looked at Padme. He most likely didn't trust her.

"It's okay," Luke said to him. He left.

* * *

Vader was alone in his TIE fighter, returning to his Star Destroyer. He had told Padme to meet him there tomorrow instead of returning to Geonosis. A few days ago, the Emperor had mentioned that he was going to send Mara Jade there. Vader wanted to see if she would say anything about Tattooine.

He suddenly heard Luke's voice in his mind.

_Father?_

_Yes, son? Are you alone?_

_Yes. I'm...in a desert._

_Where is your sister? _Vader asked, even though he already knew. He was curious to see how much Luke was willing to reveal to him.

_With our friends. I haven't told her that I've been speaking to you. She still doesn't know that we are twins._

_I will meet with you wherever you wish_, Vader reminded him. _Tell your sister everything and bring her with you. The Emperor will not know._

Luke was silent at first. Then he said, I am on Tattooine. _I will come to you if you stay away from Leia for now._

_Very well._

* * *

Padme and Leia sat down at the table in the apartment's kitchen area. Chewbacca had said something to Leia and then left. Padme was sure that he wouldn't be far away.

She and Leia drank hot tea and talked about Tattooine, and a lake that used to be on Alderaan. She had never been to that lake before, but Leia seemed to believe her when she made up a story about visiting it. Luke must not have given her any Force training yet.

"Are you from Alderaan?" Leia asked.

"I was born on Iridonia. My father is a Zabrak," Padme lied.

"Do you and your husband live there?"

"We live on Serenno."

"Do you think the person who is following you knows where you live?"

"Maybe."

"What happened?"

"My husband is an officer at one of the Imperial bases. He isn't happy," said Padme. I wish my husband really didn't like the Empire.

"Does he want to leave?"

"We've been talking about moving and hiding somewhere. He mentioned it to another officer - one that we've known for years - and he's worried that somebody might have found out."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Leia sighed. "I would like to help you both, but I'll have to discuss it with Luke first. If someone is watching you here, they are probably going to watch Luke and I now. It could be dangerous for us to take you to a Rebel base."

"I understand," Padme said, feeling a little frustrated. She was tired of lying to her daughter, but she knew that Mara Jade might actually be spying on the twins, and her as well.

* * *

Almost an hour passed before Luke returned. Leia and Padme ate some food that the apartment's owners had stocked in the fridge. They chatted about planets they had each been to. Leia didn't ask any more questions about Padme's situation, nor did she reveal anything about the other Rebels.

"I checked everything on the speeder and took it out to the desert," Luke said. "Are you both alright?"

Behind him, the door slid open. Chewbacca came inside.

"Yes," Padme answered. She looked at Leia. "Thank you for everything. I should probably go back to my ship before it gets dark outside."

"Actually, I wanted to ask you something, Padme," Luke said. "I have to go to Serenno, and I don't want to leave Leia and Chewbacca here. Could we all go there in your ship?"

"Why?" Leia asked, with a bit of anger in her voice. "What's going on?"

Luke didn't respond yet. He looked at Padme.

"I would be happy to take you," she said. "My husband and I live there. I know of some secluded places we can go to."

She and Vader really did live on Serenno, but she hadn't mentioned that to Luke before. It was interesting that he suddenly wanted to go there. She wondered if he had communicated with his father while he was gone.

_If I see Mara Jade there, I'll know that she was following us._

"Luke, why do you have to go there?" Leia demanded again.

"I'm going to talk with another Jedi that Obi-wan told me about. If you want to stay here, you can. I'll be back next week, before we have to meet Lando."

Padme knew he was lying about the Jedi. If there were any hiding on Serenno, Vader would have discovered them already. He and Padme had lived there for several years now.

_Luke wants to see his father._

"Fine. We'll go with you," said Leia, in a calmer tone. "I would love to get away from the desert for a few days."

* * *

Author's note: Thanks for reading so far. The next chapter will have more action; I just wanted to update with this.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

"Her husband is an officer at a small Imperial base on Serenno," Leia said quietly, "but they live on the other side of the planet."

She and Chewbacca were alone in the living room at the moment. Padme was in the refresher in the bedroom, taking a shower. Luke had gone to see the Togruta couple that owned the apartment. He was going to let them know that he and the others would be on Serenno until next week.

Chewbacca told her that he would rather look for Han instead of going to Serenno.

"I would, too." Leia sighed. She did want to get away from Tattooine for a few days, as she said earlier, but she would rather not travel with a woman they had just met.

The door to the bedroom slid open. When Padme walked into the living room, Leia noticed something. Her hair was now dark brown, the same as Leia's. It had been a lighter brown earlier.

"My hair was dyed before," Padme said quickly, as if she was worried that they were suspicious. "I wanted to disguise myself, in case someone is following me."

For a moment, Leia felt guilty. Perhaps the woman really did have a husband that she was concerned about. Luke seemed to like her so far. If she had lied about herself when he found her in the diner, he would have sensed it. He wouldn't have invited her to the apartment.

_But did she know that we would be on Tattooine? Does her husband or anyone else at his base know about us?_

Leia considered asking her those questions right now, but she decided to wait until Chewbacca wasn't around. Padme might share more with her when they were alone.

The front door slid open. Luke came inside.

She went over and gave him a brief hug. Not only was she nervous because of the situations with Han and Padme; she was worried about Luke trying to meet the Jedi that Obi-wan had told him about. She wondered if Darth Vader had already discovered the Jedi on Serenno. He might have guessed that Luke would go there.

"What did your aunt and uncles' friends say?" she asked.

"They have to leave Tattooine tonight," he told her, "but they said they'll always keep this apartment empty for us."

She felt a wave of panic come over her. "What happened? Did someone find out that they've been helping us?"

"No. They're going to Shili for a week. Their niece, Ahsoka, and her husband just had another baby."

"I hope Vader doesn't know she lives there," Padme murmured.

Luke looked at her. "Why do you think Vader would go after my uncle's friends' niece?"

"Oh, I don't think he would," she said quickly. "I just hope he doesn't know about them letting you hide here. That's what I meant."

Luke stared at her for a second. Leia wondered if she had just lied about something. She decided to ask him about it later.

"We should probably get some rest now," she told them, changing the subject. "Padme, you can have the couch in my room. I have an extra blanket."

Chewbacca told Luke that he was going to look around the building and make sure no one seemed to be waiting for them outside. He left.

Padme went into the bedroom. Leia started to follow her, but Luke touched her shoulder.

"Wait," he whispered. "I need to talk to you."

* * *

Padme lay down on the couch across from the bed and closed her eyes. She was happy that she and the twins were going to Serenno, but she was uneasy about Luke and Vader meeting again. Earlier, before she took a shower in the bedroom's refresher, she had spoken to Vader on her handheld holoprojector. He explained that Luke was going to meet him on the _Executor_, which would be near Serenno. Mara Jade was supposed to be there, but she was only going to talk to one of the officers. He was certain that Luke could arrive and leave without her noticing him.

_Will he really just talk to our son and then let him leave?_ Padme thought. Of course, Luke had _wanted_ to go. Perhaps he was going to accept Vader's offer to train him. She didn't want him to become a Sith, but she knew that he and his father could defeat the Emperor together.

Ten or fifteen minutes went by. She had almost fallen asleep when Leia finally came into the room. As she lay down on the bed, Padme noticed a tear on one of her cheeks.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing." Leia sighed. "Did you know that Luke and I are twins?"

"No. Why?"

"I was just wondering if he had mentioned it."

"What's wrong?" Padme asked again, wanting to see if Leia was comfortable talking about it with her. She also wondered if Luke had told her about their father, but if he had, she most likely wouldn't mention that.

_"Something wonderful has happened. Ani, I'm pregnant."_

"I'm just worried about Han - our friend," her daughter answered.

"I understand. I hope you catch that bounty hunter very soon."

Leia sat up. "How do you know that we're looking for a bounty hunter?"

"I thought I heard Chewbacca say something about it."

"You know Wookieespeak?"

"A little. I took a language class for it when I was a teenager," Padme lied. She actually didn't know any Wookieespeak, and she had no idea if Chewbacca had ever spoken about Han in front of her.

"Oh." Leia stretched out on the bed and closed her eyes. "Good night."

"Good night."

* * *

When Padme awoke, Leia wasn't in the room. She had left the door open. As Padme got up from the couch, she heard the twins talking in the kitchen area. Quietly, she took a few steps closer to the doorway.

"It's strange," Leia was saying. "Your uncles' friends knew that we were twins, and they didn't say anything until yesterday?"

"They thought I knew already," Luke explained. "The datapad they gave me - the one that Beru used to own - had a file that mentioned us. I hadn't looked at all the files on the datapad yet."

Leia was quiet for a moment. "The Organas told me that my mother died while she was giving birth to me. I knew my father died before I was born, but not that he was a Jedi."

Padme realized that Luke still hadn't revealed who their father was. She wondered if he didn't want to tell his sister everything until after he met with Vader.

* * *

Inside the ship, Luke sat beside Padme in the cockpit. Leia and Chewbacca took the seats behind them. After the ship jumped to lightspeed, the four of them talked about some places on Serenno. Last night, Padme had mentioned a field she knew of, where they could land. The Imperial base was very far from it, so it was unlikely that anyone would notice them.

Since he invited her to the apartment on Tattooine yesterday, Luke had sensed that she was lying about some things, but she was telling the truth about Serenno and the Imperial base. He also felt her emotions toward him and Leia. She genuinely liked and cared about them, which made him wonder why she was trying to hide something.

"Luke," Leia asked, "who is the Jedi that Obi-wan told you about?"

"Kit Fisto," Luke lied, since he really wasn't going to look for a Jedi when they arrived.

"I thought Kit Fisto was one of the ones...who died."

"Maybe people just think he died." Luke changed the subject. "How long have you and your husband lived there, Padme?"

"Ten years," she answered in a soft, almost sad voice. She stared down at the ship's control panel. "We met on Tattooine."

He sensed that she was telling the truth. Maybe that was the reason why she had been in Mos Eisley. She and her husband probably had friends or family there.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes. I was just thinking about him," she replied.

He decided not to question her anymore. She was quiet until the ship reached Serenno.

* * *

"It's beautiful here," Leia commented as they stood in front of the ship. The field had plenty of space for them to land. There was a large pond in the distance, with a forest on the other side. It was autumn here, and most of the trees' leaves had changed colors.

"I agree." Padme smiled. Leia seemed to be more relaxed around her now, as if she was starting to trust her.

Chewbacca said something to Luke, who was getting in the speeder. Padme knew what her son's plans were. When she spoke to Vader last night, he explained that Luke would go to the Imperial base here and pretend to be a mechanic from one of the Star Destroyers. Vader had given him a name to use. He would take an Imperial shuttle and go to the _Executor_. His father had also told him one of the security codes.

"I'll contact you on your comlink later, after I find Master Fisto," he said to Chewbacca.

Leia walked over to the speeder and leaned down to give Luke a hug.

"Be careful." She glanced at Padme, then whispered something that only her brother could hear.

"You'll be fine," he assured her.

She stepped back, and she and Padme watched as he rode away.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

Luke took the Imperial shuttle from the base on Serenno, using the fake name that Darth Vader had given him. As he approached the _Executor_, he thought about Leia, Han, Chewbacca, and Lando. He was doubtful that Vader would just talk to him and let him go, and he remembered what Leia had said yesterday. If he agreed to leave the Rebels, then his father would probably expect him to forget about Han and the others.

_What is Leia going to do about Padme?_ he thought. They still hadn't discussed the situation with her and her husband, and he wouldn't be able to help the couple if he chose to join his father.

The small hangar where he landed the shuttle was empty except for one other ship and a few officers and Stormtroopers. A couple of the officers glanced at him, but neither of them said anything or approached.

He was about to walk toward the exit of the hangar when he noticed something. The ship that was next to his shuttle looked familiar. He had seen one like it outside of Mos Eisley. A couple of times, while taking the speeder out to the desert, he had ridden past it and some other ships. A human girl with red hair had been standing in front of it once, not facing him.

_Padme thought that someone was following her, and she was telling the truth. I sensed it_.

However, it didn't make sense for the girl to follow _him_ to the Imperial base and the _Executor_. If she was spying on Padme, she should have stayed on Serenno.

After staring at the ship for a moment, he felt foolish. He knew that this might be the same model as the one he saw on Tattooine; not the exact same one.

He was about to leave when the human girl suddenly walked into the hangar, from an entrance on the other side of their two ships. She was wearing a dark blue shirt over black pants, with her hair tied back. Now that he had gotten another look at her, Luke realized who she was.

Without seeing him, Mara Jade turned and spoke to an Imperial officer near the entrance. After the man left, she continued walking over to her ship, then she paused when she noticed Luke staring at her.

"What are you doing here, Jade?" he demanded before she could say anything. He glanced around, but there was no one in the hangar now except for three Stormtroopers. They were talking to each other and didn't seem to have heard him.

"How do you know who I am?" she asked.

"I'm not telling you," he answered. He knew her name because one of the Rebellion's spies had seen her near several different Imperial bases. She was apparently a spy or messenger for the Emperor.

"Why are _you_ here, Skywalker?"

Luke didn't answer that. "You were on Tattooine, and you were probably on Serenno. Then you just happened to come to this Star Destroyer."

"I only stopped on Tattooine because my ship's hyperdrive was damaged!" she snapped. "Why do you mention Serenno? I've never been there."

He sensed that she was being honest. That was surprising. Of course, even if she hadn't been following him and the others, another spy might have been.

"I was near the Imperial base on Serenno, and I agreed to meet with someone here," he told her, in a calmer tone.

"I've heard about you." Her voice was also more gentle now. "I'm surprised that you would just surrender and agree to come here."

Luke wondered if she had heard about him from the Emperor, or if she knew who his father was. He decided to go before she tried to ask him anymore questions. She probably wanted to know why a Rebel was being trusted to walk around a Star Destroyer by himself.

"Goodbye." He felt slightly nervous now, but he knew it was because of his meeting with Vader; not anything Mara had done.

He left the hangar.

* * *

Padme, Leia, and Chewbacca spent most of the day exploring the meadows and woods near the ship. Occasionally, Padme tried to talk about Luke and the other Rebels, but Leia always gave her vague answers and then changed the subject. She was friendly, but apparently she still didn't want to share a lot with Padme.

Chewbacca was mostly silent. She suspected that he thought she could understand some Wookieespeak. Leia must have warned him sometime before they left Tattooine.

When the sky began to darken, they still hadn't heard from Luke. All of them were worried, and Padme was especially frightened. She hoped that he and Vader hadn't gotten into another battle, and she was also thinking of Mara Jade. If Mara had seen Luke on the Star Destroyer, she might have notified the Emperor.

Chewbacca said something to Leia as the three of them walked away from the pond. The two women had been sitting by the edge of the water and drinking hot tea that Padme made in the ship's kitchen area.

"Alright," Leia told Chewbacca. She looked at Padme. "He's going to find a few pieces of wood and make a fire. We can watch for Luke for a little while, before we go to sleep."

"That's a good idea."

"I'll go with you, Chewie," said Leia. "Padme, will you stay here in case Luke comes back?"

"Yes," she answered reluctantly. She got the impression that they wanted a chance to talk, maybe about her.

Leia seemed to notice that she wasn't happy. "We won't take long."

Padme watched for a minute as they walked back toward the trees on the other side of the pond. Then she went inside the ship. She wanted to speak to Vader while she was alone.

When she tried to contact him on her handheld holoprojector, he didn't answer. She sighed and went to the bed in the back room. She hadn't rested since they left Tattooine, and she was a little tired.

* * *

The sound of the ship's ramp opening awoke her. Quietly, she stood and took a blaster out from underneath the bed. After hearing her daughter call her name, she put the blaster back and left the room.

"Leia," she said. "Did you hear from Luke while you were gone?"

"Yes. I spoke to him on my comlink, and..." Leia paused. "I spoke to our friend, Lando, too. He's actually near Serenno now, and he offered to get Chewbacca and I."

"What about Luke? He isn't going with you?"

"No. He said that he wants to keep searching for Kit Fisto until tomorrow."

"Oh." Padme knew he had lied about that. He was probably with Vader - unless their meeting on the _Executor_ hadn't gone well. He might be hiding somewhere.

"Thank you for bringing us here," Leia continued. "I will talk to Luke about your husband and figure out what we can do. We could see you on Tattooine sometime soon."

"I would like that," Padme said softly. She didn't bother asking about a specific time when they could meet. She doubted that Leia really wanted to do it.

A beeping sound came from the back room. It was her holoprojector. She had left it on the small desk across from the bed.

"That's probably my husband," she told Leia. "I'll be outside in a moment. I want to let him know that we're okay."

"Alright."

* * *

Padme went to the room and closed the door behind her, then picked up the holoprojector. When Vader's image appeared, he was wearing his armor, meaning that he might still be on his Star Destroyer. She didn't see their son with him.

"Leia and Chewbacca are leaving here later, with Lando," she said. "Where are you?"

"At our home," he replied. "Luke is returning to Tattooine. After he meets with the others, he will bring his sister back to Serenno."

"He must have agreed to serve you," Padme muttered. She was relieved that he and his father were getting along, but she was also saddened at the thought of him leaving the friends he had in the Rebellion. She thought about Han Solo and wondered if Luke even cared about finding him now.

Vader stared at her, probably realizing that she wasn't happy.

"Luke saw Mara Jade on the Executor earlier," he told her.

"What happened?"

"He learned that she was on Tattooine because of her ship being damaged. She was not lying when she talked to you there. She does not even seem to know that Luke is our son."

"She could be following him now, even if she wasn't doing that on Tattooine," Padme pointed out. She sighed. "What about me? Did you tell Luke who I am?"

"No," Vader answered. "He has just begun to trust me. I do not want him to know that you were spying on him and Leia."

Despite being upset, Padme felt a bit of hope. Vader obviously wanted their son to be loyal to him. If Luke changed his mind and wanted to get away from the Empire, perhaps that would make Vader consider leaving, too.

"I'm going to stay with Leia and Chewbacca until Lando arrives," she said. "I will be at the house later."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

Padme landed the ship in the closed hangar at the edge of her and Vader's property, and made sure that she locked the entrance with the security code. She didn't want the twins to find the ship when they arrived in a few days. They would wonder why she was here.

Since Leia and Chewbacca left with Lando, she had been trying not to cry, even though she knew that Luke was planning to bring his sister here. She didn't know what Leia would do when she learned Vader was her father and Luke had decided to join him. Maybe she would try to escape and hide somewhere. Padme also worried about the Emperor discovering that Luke had a sister.

She pulled her cloak around her shoulders and hurried into the two-level house, although there was nobody else around. The nearest city took over half an hour to reach in the speeder. There was another house in the far distance, on the other side of a patch of trees, but the Chiss couple who owned it were only there during the summer.

She found Vader in one of the extra bedrooms upstairs. He had removed his armor and was wearing a dark robe. The room was empty except for a couch against one wall.

"I missed you," Padme said, walking over to him. He was looking at the door that opened to a balcony.

_"You are so beautiful."_

_"It's only because I'm so in love."_

He turned and took her into his arms. She stood on her toes and kissed him for a long moment.

"Are you alright?" he asked, still holding onto her.

"Yes. No one on Tattooine seemed to recognize me, except Mara."

"Don't be concerned about her. Luke has become even more skilled since I saw him at Cloud City. It will be difficult for her to follow him without being caught."

"I hope so." Padme rested her forehead on his chest.

He suddenly let go of her and stepped back. "I know that you do not like this, Padme, but our son chose to join to me. He is happier now, and Leia will be, also. Is that not important?"

"Of course I want them to be happy," she replied in a tired voice. If he had guessed what she was secretly hoping for - the twins turning him away from the Dark Side - then he still hadn't said anything, and she wanted to avoid discussing it for now.

"Do you remember when we were on Mustafar?" he asked. "You told me that you only wanted my love."

"I don't want to talk about Mustafar." Tears formed in her eyes. She glanced at the scarred areas on his face and hairless scalp.

Without saying anything else, he slid his arms around her again. She hugged him tightly.

"I'm going to go rest. I'm exhausted," she murmured. "Will you wake me if you hear from Luke?"

"Yes," Vader answered, staring at her. "I am doing what is best for you and the twins, Padme."

She kissed his cheek without responding to that, and went to their bedroom.

* * *

Leia was in the _Millenium Falcon_'s cockpit, in the seat behind Chewbacca's. He had just told Lando about the woman they met on Tattooine.

"She told Luke that her name was Padme," Leia added. "That must be true, or else he would have sensed that she was lying."

"Did she say who her husband was?" Lando asked.

"Only that he's an officer at the Imperial base on Serenno. She didn't mention his name. She told me that he wants to get away from the Empire."

"How did she find you and Luke?"

"I don't know. She said that she had seen me on Alderaan before," Leia answered.

Chewbacca reminded her that Padme had also seemed to know Luke, but she hadn't explained that.

"Luke is a well-known Rebel leader now," said Lando. "All of the Rebels are wanted by the Empire. If the woman's husband is an Imperial officer, then she probably heard about Luke from him."

Leia sighed. "Someone could have found out that she asked us for help."

"Did she say whether her husband was a high-level officer? Is he one that would report to Vader often?"

After he asked that, Leia suddenly remembered a strange comment Padme had made while they were on Tattooine. It was after Luke mentioned Ahsoka, the niece that his uncle's friends were visiting on Shili right now.

_"I hope Vader doesn't know she lives there."_

She told Lando about it.

"We probably shouldn't go back to the same place on Tattooine," he suggested. "You should stay away from her. I don't want to bring her to a Rebel base, either. It's too much of a risk."

"I agree," Leia said, but she also remembered that Padme had sounded sad when she talked about Ahsoka. Once again, she almost felt sorry for the woman. She had told Padme that they could meet on Tattooine, but now she and the others were going to avoid her.

_I told her that it could be dangerous for us to get involved. If she really does like us, she'll understand._

_

* * *

_

Two days later, Luke was on the _Executor_, in his father's chambers. The Emperor now knew that he had decided to join them, but he had refused to cooperate unless Vader trained him. Surprisingly, the Emperor had agreed without any objection. Vader and Luke were certain that he was suspicious about them working together.

Luke stood near one corner of the main chamber and contacted Leia on his handheld holoprojector. She and the others were in Mos Espa now, instead of Mos Eisley. Lando was concerned about Padme following them and he had wanted to stay somewhere else. He had rented a place for them.

"Luke," Leia said after her image appeared. "Did you find anything?"

"I found an old house," Luke lied, since she believed that he was still on Serenno. "I don't think Kit Fisto or anyone else has stayed there for a while. Maybe he really isn't alive anymore."

"I'm sorry to hear that, but I have to tell you something. We found out where Han is. I'll talk to you about it when you're here."

"Good. I will leave now."

After turning the holoprojector off, Luke heard a couple of footsteps approaching from behind him.

He turned and saw Mara Jade standing there, beside a short hallway entrance. At the end of the hallway was a door that opened to an empty room, which Vader didn't use for anything. Luke hadn't noticed Mara there when he entered the chambers a few minutes ago. She might have been hiding around the hallway's corner.

He quickly ignited his lightsaber and stood in front of her, using the blade to block her side. She was trapped between him and the wall.

"What are you doing here?" he asked angrily.

"Back off!" She glanced down at her own lightsaber, which was attached to her belt.

"Answer me." He moved the blade closer to her shoulder. She wouldn't be able to reach for her saber before he attacked.

"My master wanted me to give a report to you and Lord Vader." Mara glared at him. "Get away from me."

Luke sensed that she was being honest about that, but he was sure that the Emperor had other reasons for wanting her to come here. She was probably supposed to observe him and Vader. He turned his lightsaber off and moved away.

"What is it?" he asked.

"A few abandoned X-wings were found on Ryloth. No one was anywhere near them." Mara started to walk past him, then stopped. "Are you going to see Princess Leia?"

"Yes. She does not know about me leaving the Rebellion yet. I am planning to bring her to Vader."

"Oh," Mara said, sounding as if she really wasn't very interested. Perhaps she still didn't know that he and Leia were twins, or that Vader was their father. "Goodbye."

Luke briefly considered following her, to make sure that she was also leaving the _Executor_, but he decided not to. He wanted to speak to his father before he went to Tattooine.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

"I will talk to Leia," Luke said. "We should arrive tomorrow."

Darth Vader stood in a room on the first level of the house, in front of the holoprojector. Padme waited near the opposite wall, behind their son's image, so that she wouldn't be visible.

It had been a week since Luke met his father on the _Executor_. He had intended to bring Leia to Serenno a few days ago, but they needed to get Han out of Jabba's palace. Vader had suggested that he help the others rescue Han first. It would be easier to convince Leia to leave Tattooine if she wasn't worried about him anymore.

"Good. Have you seen Mara Jade anywhere?" Vader asked.

"No." Luke was quiet for a moment. "Father, there is something I should tell you."

"What is it?"

"When we were here last time - in Mos Eisley - we found a woman named Padme. Her husband is an Imperial officer at the base on Serenno. I don't know who he is, but I believe he is planning to join the Rebels."

"I am pleased that you informed me of this," said Vader. He suddenly felt a lot of sadness in his wife. "Alert me if she comes to you again."

"I will, Father."

After Luke's image disappeared, Vader went over to Padme. She sighed and stared at the holoprojector.

"He told you about me," she whispered. "I didn't think he would do that."

"Why does it matter? You were only pretending to be a woman who needed his help."

"But he doesn't know that yet. He betrayed me."

"You have no reason to be concerned." Vader leaned foward and briefly kissed her mouth - he wasn't wearing his mask at the moment. "He is going to learn the truth about you soon."

She smiled, but as they left the room, he sensed that she was still uneasy.

* * *

On Tattooine, Han and Leia were in front of the house Lando had rented. It was several miles outside of Mos Espa, but so far, no Tusken Raiders had bothered them. Leia occasionally wondered if Padme was back in Mos Eisley now, and if she was searching for them there.

"Your brother got a great deal on the ship," Han was saying. "That model just came out last year."

Leia glanced over at the shiny, brand new ship that was off to the side of the house, next to the _Millenium Falcon_. She had been very surprised when Luke brought it back from Serenno. It looked expensive. He told her that a junk dealer offered him a low price because of a missing part, but he had been able to repair it.

"He's been strange lately," Leia said, mostly to herself, as Han stood behind her and slid his arms around her waist. She remembered how Luke had trusted Padme to take them to Serenno in her ship, although they had just met her a few hours before.

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing, really," Leia answered, feeling safer as Han held her. "We were all worried about getting you back. I'm sure that he's fine now."

The ramp of Luke's new ship opened, and he walked out. As he approached them, he seemed to be in a serious mood.

"Did something happen?" Leia asked him.

"No. I was just speaking with my uncle's friends on the holoprojector," he answered, "but I have to ask you something."

"What is it?"

"I want to return to Dagobah in the morning and see Master Yoda. I think you should come with me."

"Dagobah?" Leia turned a little and looked up at Han. "I thought we had all agreed to stay here until our meeting with the other Rebels."

"We can be back before then," Luke assured her. "Please. Yoda didn't tell me that we were twins, and I want to ask him about it. Maybe he'll tell me more if you're there."

"Are you saying you don't trust Yoda?" Han asked.

"Of course not. I just want to know why he and Obi-wan didn't tell me about my sister."

Leia considered the idea for a minute. "Alright, Luke. I'll go."

She was irritated, and she realized that he was going to sense her mood, but she didn't care. He must have known that she wouldn't want to leave Han so soon after they rescued him. She was a bit curious about Yoda, but was it really important that they go see him tomorrow?

Han leaned down and kissed her forehead. "I'll be fine. Lando and Chewbacca are here. We have to fix a couple of things on the Falcon."

"Okay," she said reluctantly. She hugged him, then went into the house to pack a few clothes.

* * *

At first, everything went well.

Leia felt more relaxed the following morning, as she and Luke left Tattooine in his new ship. Last night she had thought more about what he said, and decided he was right. Yoda should tell them why he and Obi-wan hadn't revealed that they were twins. Leia wanted to talk with him herself.

While they travelled, they discussed what they knew about the Jedi, and Anakin and Padme Skywalker. After mentioning her biological mother's name, Leia was reminded of the other woman named Padme.

"Luke," she said, "when we were in Mos Eisley, you said that your uncle's friends were visiting their niece on Shili."

"Yes. Why?"

"Padme said that she hoped Vader didn't know about their niece living there. Didn't you think that was odd?"

"Yes, I did," Luke replied, "but I suppose it makes sense. My uncle's friends have been helping us - Rebels - and if Vader discovered them somehow, they would be in danger. Their niece would be in danger, too, if they were with her."

Leia nodded. "It doesn't matter now, anyway. We've already decided to stay away from her."

Luke looked down at one of the screens on the ship's dashboard. "We're almost there now. Will you contact Han and let him know that we're alright?"

"Yes." She got out of her seat and went to the back of the ship.

There were three storage rooms. The door to one was open. Earlier, Luke had pointed out that the holoprojector was in it.

The room was dark as Leia walked in. She found a button on the panel beside the entrance and pressed it, turning the light on. Almost immediately, the door slid closed. She was about to try to open it, but then she looked around and noticed that the room was completely bare.

She thought that she had accidently gone into the wrong one. But when she stepped toward the door, thinking it might slide open automatically, nothing happened. She tried each of the buttons on the wall panel. None of them opened it.

"Luke!" she yelled.

After waiting a moment, she knocked on the door a few times.

A minute or two went by. She yelled again, but Luke apparently didn't hear her. The room began to shake, meaning that the ship was landing. Leia sat down on the floor. She wasn't worried. Luke was probably busy with the ship's controls right now.

A few more minutes later, after the ship was still, the door finally opened. He was standing there.

"Sorry," he said. "I don't know what happened. I think the door was secured automatically when it closed."

"It's alright," Leia told him. "Let's go outside."

Once they walked down the boarding ramp, she was surprised at what she saw. They were not in a swampy, murky area. This was actually a beautiful meadow, similar to the one Padme had taken them to on Serenno.

"What's going on?" she demanded, looking at her brother. "Why aren't we on Dagobah?"

Before he could say anything, they heard a sound - the mechanical breathing from Vader's mask. Leia turned and saw him approaching the ship.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

When Leia opened her eyes, she was back inside the empty room in Luke's ship, where she had been trapped before they landed. She was curled up on the floor with Vader standing across from her.

Right after she had noticed him, she heard a blaster being fired behind her. She realized that she had been stunned, which was confusing. There hadn't been any Stormtroopers or Imperial officers around the meadow. Vader had not been holding a blaster.

"What did you do to Luke?" she demanded. She hoped that her brother was in one of the other empty storage rooms. This was his ship, so he knew all of the security codes for the doors. He would probably be here any minute, unless he was stunned.

"He is waiting for us," Vader answered.

"_Waiting_ for _us_?" Leia sat up. She didn't bother asking what he meant. "I'm not telling you where the other Rebels are. Luke won't tell you, either."

"He has already told me that. I do not wish to question you about the Rebels."

"You are lying." Leia turned away, looking at the door, and thought about Padme. Now she regretted that she hadn't tried to help the woman and her husband. If she and Luke escaped somehow, she would go back to Mos Eisley as soon as possible and look for her.

"He stunned you with his blaster," Vader told her calmly, as if he wasn't concerned about her brother at all.

Leia stared at him. Luke did have a blaster - she saw him attach it to his belt earlier, before they left the house on Tattooine - and he was standing behind her before she was stunned...

_No. Why would he do that, unless he accidently hit me with the bolt?_

"That doesn't make sense!" She was starting to feel even more frightened, even though she knew Vader was lying to her. "If he _did_ tell you about the Rebels, then you have no reason to interrogate me now. What do you want?"

"Your brother wanted to bring you here so that I could tell you the truth."

"You know that he's my brother." Leia sighed and glanced up at the panel beside the door. She was actually closer to it than him, but she knew that opening the door and running out of here would be pointless. He was on the ship with her, so she couldn't leave, and she didn't know where she could go if she got outside.

Then she remembered the speeder. It was in the cargo space underneath the ship. If she could somehow get out of the room and lock Vader inside, she would have a chance to look for Luke. Then they would get the speeder out and leave.

"I know because I am your father," Vader said, interrupting her thoughts.

She stared at him again. Before she could say anything, he pointed toward the panel on the wall and used the Force to press one of the buttons. When the door slid open, she saw Luke standing there, looking as if he _had_ been waiting for them.

"Come with me, Leia," he told her softly. He looked at Vader. "I will take her to the house."

She knew that he wasn't pretending. If was, Vader would sense that he was being dishonest.

She was quiet as she followed him out of the ship.

* * *

A couple of hours later, when the sky was almost dark, Padme carefully walked behind the house. She had been waiting in her ship, in the closed hangar, so that the twins wouldn't see her anywhere.

She looked up at Leia's new room, which had its own balcony. Leia had been standing there a moment ago. She had just stared at the stars for a few minutes before going back inside. Padme knew that she might be thinking of a way to escape.

She looked around, then took a blaster out from underneath her cloak. She aimed at the balcony's railing and fired twice. The bolts didn't do any damage.

Leia opened the door, but hesitated before stepping outside.

"Leia?" Padme called. "Is that you?"

"Padme!" Her daughter approached the balcony's railing and leaned over the edge a little.

"I didn't know you were on Serenno again. Is this your house?"

"Listen to me." Leia lowered her voice. "We have to get out of here. I don't have time to explain now. Is your ship nearby?"

"Yes. I..." Padme stopped. She heard someone behind her.

When she tried to turn around, she could only move her head a little. She realized that the person was using the Force to hold her still.

"Luke!" Leia shouted. "Please, just let her go."

He walked closer without responding. "What are you doing here, Padme?"

She was suddenly nervous, even though she was about to tell him the truth. She remembered his conversation with Vader yesterday, when he told his father about the woman he had met on Tattooine. He believed that she needed his help, and he had been willing to betray her to Vader. He was different from the person who had found her in the diner on Tattooine and offered to take her to Leia.

"I told you that my husband and I live here," she replied, loud enough for his sister to hear. "Your mother's name was Padme."

He said nothing, but she felt him release the Force grip around her. He seemed to understand what she had meant.

"Leia..." she started, looking up at the balcony again.

"Both of you leave me alone!" Leia snapped. She went back into her room.

* * *

Vader had been watching from a window in the living room, on the house's first level. As Padme and Luke walked toward the back entrance together, he turned and started to leave.

He paused when he heard a holoprojector beeping. Padme had left her handheld one on the desk in the corner of the room, before she went to hide in her ship. He went and picked it up.

When he turned it on, Ahsoka Tano's image appeared. It was a recorded message.

"Padme," she said, "If you get this, contact me when you are alone. Please don't tell anyone."

Vader erased it. He placed the holoprojector back in the same spot before Padme and Luke came inside.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

Later, Padme sat down in the living room while Luke and Vader went outside to talk about something. So far, Luke wasn't angry at his parents for deceiving him and Leia - maybe because he had already deceived his sister and the other Rebels. She was relieved. Despite being upset at the way he was changing, she was glad to see him and his father getting along.

_How am I going to discuss the Empire with him?_ she thought. _If his father refuses to give up the Dark Side, then he may not want to, either._

After waiting a little longer, she decided to see if Leia would speak to her. She went upstairs and buzzed the door to her daughter's room.

She was a bit surprised when the door slid open. At first, Leia just stood there and stared at her.

"Luke and your father are outside," Padme told her, stepping into the room.

She didn't say anything at first. She pushed the button on the wall that closed the door, then went and sat down on the edge of the room's new bed. During the last week, Padme had purchased some more furniture through the Holonet.

"He told Han and the others that we were going to visit Yoda," she said. "They'll probably go to Dagobah if they are worried about us."

"I know you miss Han."

Leia sighed. "I don't want him to come here. He'll be in danger."

"I understand," said Padme, "and I know you must be angry at me, but I have to tell you something important. The Emperor only knows about Luke. He doesn't seem to know that Vader and I also have a daughter."

"Luke brought you to the apartment on Tattooine because you told him that you needed help. He would have sensed if you were lying."

"Yes. I really was worried about someone following me - one of Palpatine's spies. Luke will tell you about her."

Her daughter simply nodded, as if she didn't care about hearing more right now. She turned and looked over at the door to the balcony. Padme was still concerned about her trying to leave, but she realized that Luke and Vader would immediately go to Han if Leia disappeared. Leia would probably stay here in order to protect him, Chewbacca, and Lando.

"You must be tired. I will talk to you tomorrow," Padme added.

Leia didn't respond to her. She left.

* * *

Leia slept late the next morning. She awoke when she heard a ship taking off from behind the house. Quickly, she got out of bed and went over to her room's window, where she saw Padme's ship leaving from the hangar at the far edge of the property. She didn't feel hopeful, since she doubted that her parents would leave her alone so soon after she had been captured. One of them was probably still here.

She went into the room's refresher and took a shower, then looked inside the closet. Padme - her mother - had put a few clothes in it. She took out a pair of white pants and a long-sleeved white shirt. The autumn weather was already cooler than when she was here last week.

There was a buzz from the door. She decided to answer in case it was Padme. She wasn't necessarily comfortable around her, but she would rather see her than Darth Vader. She remembered the way her mother had spoken about the Emperor last night, sounding worried.

Luke was there. He was holding the bag that she had packed before they left Tattooine. She had left it in his new ship.

"What do you want?" she hissed.

He handed the bag to her. "Leia, I told you that I was frustrated with Yoda when we were on Tattooine. He and Obi-wan lied to me."

"_You_ lied to _me_. You told me that we were going to see Yoda, and then you brought me here instead. You joined Vader."

"He is our father," Luke said.

Leia was about to close the door in his face, but she changed her mind. She knew that it was best to cooperate with him and Vader, at least for now. She wondered if he would tell her where their parents had gone. She needed to find a way to contact Han and the others, and tell them to leave Tattooine immediately.

"I saw the ship leaving just now," she told him, in a softer tone.

"They went to Geonosis. They will be back later."

"Oh." Leia closed her eyes briefly, and a tear fell down her cheek. "Luke, will you contact Han and tell him that we're on Dagobah? If he thinks that we're with Yoda, he won't come looking for us."

He considered that for a moment. "Yes. I will."

He went across the hall, where his room was. Leia closed the door. She was about to go out to the balcony when she heard a beeping sound. It was coming from inside the bag that her brother had just returned.

_My holoprojector!_ she thought excitedly, opening the bag. She had packed her handheld one. Luke must not have looked at her things, or else he probably would have taken it.

She turned it on and the image of a female Togruta appeared. It was Ahsoka, the niece of the couple that owned the apartment on Tattooine. Leia and Luke had met her a few weeks ago, when she was still pregnant with her second child. She and her husband had been at her aunt and uncle's home in Mos Eisley.

"Leia..." she began.

"Ahsoka, listen to me," she interrupted. "You and your family are in danger. Are you on Tattooine?"

"No, we're on Shili. My aunt and uncle told me that you aren't staying in Mos Eisley anymore, and I wanted to see if you were alright. What's going on?"

"Luke has changed - he has decided to serve Darth Vader," Leia said. "Your aunt and uncle might be in trouble. Luke knows that they were helping Rebels, and I don't know if he has told Vader. You have to leave Shili _now_. He knows that you live there. Tell your aunt and uncle to leave Tattooine."

"I've been afraid of that." Ahsoka was actually calm, as if she wasn't shocked by the idea of Darth Vader coming after her and her family. That was strange.

"What do you mean?"

"I know about you and Luke, and your parents - but I can't talk about everything right now. I have to ask you something. I sent your mother a message yesterday. Do you know if she saw it?"

"No." Leia was stunned by what she was hearing. "How did you find a way to contact her?"

"I don't have time to explain," Ahsoka replied. "My family and I have to hide. Don't tell anyone you spoke to me. I probably shouldn't try to reach Padme again."

"I won't tell anyone." Leia was scared. What if Padme had actually gotten the message, and had told Vader about it? Luke had said that they were going to Genosis, but she wouldn't be surprised if he had lied.

"Thank you. I hope I can talk to you again soon."

Leia nodded. "Goodbye."

After she turned off the holoprojector, she put it back in the bag, which she moved to her closet. She hoped that Ahoska could avoid Vader, and she still didn't know what to do about Han. He was going to be worried if she and Luke didn't return from Yoda's house - where he thought they were staying - after several days. It wasn't unlikely that they would come to Serenno. Chewbacca might suggest looking for the twins there, since he had been suspicious of Padme.

* * *

The meeting with the Emperor went well. He and Vader mostly discussed some details that Mara Jade had learned about Prince Xizor while spying on the man recently. Although he hadn't asked Vader to bring Padme, he didn't object to her being there. He just ignored her like he usually did.

Vader still hadn't told Padme about the recording he saw on her holoprojector the previous night. During most of the morning, he had sensed that she was in a mostly peaceful mood - except for having to be around his master. She wasn't acting as if she were hiding something from him.

He remembered the way Ahsoka had spoken in the message, as if she wasn't sure that Padme would receive it. Of course, that didn't necessarily mean that the two of them hadn't met in person.

"The Emperor didn't mention Luke at all," Padme said after their ship left Geonosis.

"I believe he wants me to think that he isn't threatened by me and our son." Vader stood from the bench seat behind the cockpit area; he had been sitting there as the ship took off. He moved behind her chair and rested one of his gloved hands - he was still wearing his armor - on her shoulder.

"He must be. It still bothers me that Mara Jade just happened to be on Tattooine while I was there, even if she really was having trouble with her ship. She might have seen the twins in Mos Eisley."

He lightly stroked her hair with his other hand. "Did you tell me that they were staying in an apartment there?"

"Yes," she replied. "It's owned by a couple that Luke knows."

"Did you meet them?" he asked.

Right away, he felt a lot of fear rising in her. She hesitated before answering.

"No," she said, almost in a whisper.

"Do you know their name?"

"No. Why?"

"I asked Luke about them last night. He mentioned that they are Togrutas," Vader said. He looked down at her. "I find it interesting that Ahsoka Tano contacted you after you stayed in their apartment."

"_What?_" She got out of the seat and looked up at him. "What are you talking about?"

"Tell me if you saw her on Tattooine," he demanded, without explaining yet. "Do not make this difficult, Padme."

She began to cry. She turned away and looked down at the ship's controls. "Before we left for Serenno, Luke said that his friends were going to visit their niece on Shili. He just called her Ahsoka. She might not be the same Ahsoka. Why are you doing this to me?"

Vader spoke in a tone that was a bit more gentle. "She sent a recorded message to your holoprojector. I saw it last night."

"I don't know how she could have gotten my signal." Padme wiped her face. "I haven't seen her since before..."

He tried to approach her, but she quickly moved past him and walked over to the other side of the cockpit. He almost used to the Force to stop her, then changed his mind.

"You don't have to confront me like this! Why didn't you just show me the message last night?" she asked, without looking at him. "I would have talked to you about it."

For some reason, he suddenly remembered the time that she had pretended to be interested in Rush Clovis, so that she could spy on him for the Jedi Council. He thought about what she had said to Anakin after the mission.

_"I made you doubt me."_

_"Never."_

"I love you, Padme," he said quietly. "You know that I am only concerned about our children."

"_You_ know that Ahsoka isn't a danger to them." She wiped her face again. "I want to go rest for a little while. Will you wake me before we land on Serenno?"

"Yes."

She came over to him, but he sensed that she was still upset, and scared. He held her for a moment before she went to the back of the ship.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

When they returned to the house, Padme immediately went to her and Vader's room by herself. She hadn't said a word to him since he confronted her on the ship earlier. She was still angry and hurt by the way he had treated her, and she was worried that Ahsoka would send her another message.

She looked at the window beside the balcony door and saw that Leia was outside on her own room's balcony, which was beside Vader and Padme's. Luke was with her, but she had her back turned to him and wasn't saying anything.

Padme didn't think that she would talk to her either, but she went outside anyway. Vader would probably come to the room soon. She wanted to avoid him right now.

"Hello," she said. She walked over to the railing of her balcony, closer to Leia.

"Are you alright, Mother?" Luke asked, looking at her.

"I don't like meeting with the Emperor," she replied. That was true, although it wasn't the main reason for her being upset at the moment. "Fortunately, he didn't say anything about Leia. He just talked with your father about a mission that Mara Jade went on."

"Good." He went back into the house.

Leia stared down at the yard. There was a wall around the property, and the hangar for the ships was at one corner.

"You told me that your husband wanted to get away from the Empire," she said distantly, referring to when she had met her mother on Tattooine.

Padme noticed that she was wearing a dress from the closet in her new room. It was almost the same as the one Padme had worn when she first kissed Anakin, at the house in the Lake Country on Naboo, except it was a solid light yellow shade.

"I wish I hadn't been lying."

Leia turned toward her. "Is there anything we can do about it?"

"I don't know," she answered, feeling less melancholy. Her daughter seemed to be trusting her more already.

"I hope we can think of something." Leia glanced at the yard again. Vader had just come out of the entrance of the hangar. Luke was walking over to him.

"So do I." Padme paused. "Are you hungry? You haven't eaten anything since you came here yesterday. Do you want to go to the kitchen with me?"

"Yes. Thank you."

* * *

Luke's holoprojector beeped while he and Vader were outside. He knew that it was Mara Jade before he turned it on. His father had given him the holoprojector last week and, other than him and Padme, only Mara could contact Luke on it. The Emperor had suggested that she be able to reach him in case she had to share any reports or information. Luke believed that he actually wanted to remind him and Vader that he was watching them.

"What is it?" Luke demanded as soon as Mara's image appeared. At first, he felt slightly guilty for speaking harshly to her, when she hadn't even said anything to him yet. Then he remembered that she was probably going to tell everything to her master.

"Skywalker," she said calmly, as if she wasn't intimidated. "My master wanted me to tell you about my mission that involved Prince Xizor."

He listened as she summarized what she had learned while spying on Xizor. He already knew most of it, since he and his father had just been discussing the meeting with the Emperor. Mara would most likely hear Vader's breathing in the background - he was still wearing his armor - but she didn't seem to care if he was listening.

After Luke turned the holoprojector off, he said, "Father, I contacted Han earlier. I told him that Leia and I are staying with Yoda. That will keep him and the others from worrying about us, for a few days."

"Good." Vader stared at him. "Soon you will have to tell him the truth, son."

"I know." He was now nervous for the first time since he went to the _Executor_ last week. He wondered what his father expected him to do about Han and the other Rebels, but he didn't want to ask yet. He was going to have to deal with that in the next day or so. Han would want to speak with Leia by then - he still hadn't talked to her since she and Luke left the house on Tattooine.

Luke realized that Vader must be sensing his apprehension.

"I have finished my lightsaber. I would like to test it," he said, hoping to get away from the subject of Han. There was a large, empty area in the house's underground level, where they had practiced fighting a couple of times during the past week. Luke had been working on a second lightsaber that had a red blade.

"Very well."

Just then, they heard the house's back door opening. Luke watched as Leia and Padme came outside. The two of them stopped and stood in front of a stone bench. Leia looked in his direction, then said something to Padme. They were both quiet as he and Vader approached.

"Vader," Padme said softly. She walked over to him. He stood behind her and rested his hands on her shoulders.

Luke sensed that she was in a much better mood now. Something had been bothering her when he spoke to her earlier, from Leia's balcony.

He looked at his sister, who was gazing over at some trees in the distance. Vader had told him about the Chiss couple who owned the house on the other side of those trees. They were unaware that Darth Vader and his wife lived in the house next to theirs. Since they only stayed in their home during the summer, they wouldn't be around for the rest of the year.

"Luke..." Padme started, but she was interrupted by his holoprojector beeping again.

He turned it on, knowing that it was going to be Mara once more.

"What is it now?" he asked.

"The Emperor just asked me to meet you on the Executor tomorrow. I will be there at noon. I'm going to Shili, and he wants you to accompany me."

Immediately, Luke felt fear in both his mother and sister. He guessed that Leia was thinking of their friends, the Togruta couple who owned the apartment in Mos Eisley, but he didn't understand why his mother was frightened. Then he remembered something Leia had asked him after they left Tattooine yesterday.

_"Padme said that she hoped Vader didn't know about their niece living there. Didn't you think that was odd?"_

"We will go in my ship," he told Mara.

"Fine." Her image faded.

"Why do you have to go to Shili?" Padme asked him, although she turned and looked up at Vader, as if she were actually expecting him to say something instead.

"I don't think anything important is happening on Shili. The Emperor must want Mara to be alone with me. It will give her a chance to question me without Father being around."

"I believe you are correct," said Vader.

Leia suddenly went back inside the house, without saying a word.

* * *

Author's note: Next chapter will be longer and have more action; I just wanted go ahead and upload this part. Thanks again for reading so far.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

"We've left Shili already," said Ahsoka.

Her image was showing above Leia's holoprojector. She held her new baby, a girl, who was asleep at the moment. While she was visiting Mos Eisley a few weeks ago, she had once shown Leia and Luke an image of her other daughter, who was almost sixteen.

Leia sighed with relief. "Good. Don't tell me where you are. I don't want to have an answer if Vader asks me about you."

"I understand."

"I should go. They're probably wondering what happened. I just hurried to my room so I could warn you about Luke and Mara's mission."

"Thank you. Goodbye."

"Goodbye." Leia turned the holoprojector off and put it back in the bag she had brought from Tattooine, which still had some of her clothes. She had been hiding it in the corner of her closet.

She heard a buzz from her door, which wasn't unexpected. She was glad to see only Padme there when she opened it.

"The air is chilly outside. I wanted to change out of this dress," she lied.

"Oh," Padme said. "Your father is in our room. He wants to speak with you."

"Why?"

"He didn't tell me."

"Will you stay with us?" asked Leia. She turned and glanced at the door to her balcony. She had briefly considered trying to escape the house, but knew that would be difficult. Padme mentioned earlier that the nearest city was several miles away, and Leia didn't have a speeder. Since Luke had lied and said they were going to Yoda's home on Dagobah, she only had a few credits with her; not enough to pay for a ride on a transport ship. She didn't know if the city even had any transport ships.

"If you want." Padme moved closer and hugged her. "I know you are afraid for Han and your friends. I'm going to try to convince Vader to leave them alone, but I think it will help if you talk to him."

Leia nodded, realizing that her mother was right. There was a chance that he might spare Han and the others - for now - if she cooperated.

* * *

Vader was on the balcony of his and Padme's room when they entered, watching as Luke's ship flew out of the hangar. Luke had decided to leave for the _Executor_ now so that he wouldn't be late for his meeting with Mara tomorrow. Padme hoped that he could find out if she knew about his sister.

She went over to Vader's side, while Leia remained near the balcony's entrance.

"This worries me," she said quietly. "Leia, you and Luke know a Togruta couple who went to visit their niece on Shili. Now the Emperor wants Mara to go to Shili."

"Do you think he knows about me?"

"It is possible", said Vader. "If Ahsoka knows that you are Luke's sister, Mara could learn the truth about you from watching her."

"_What?_" Leia glared at Padme. "Is that why he wanted to speak with me? So the two of you could interrogate me about her? I know that she sent you a message."

"How?" She was not only surprised, but hurt by Leia's suspicion of her. She wished Vader hadn't said anything about Ahsoka, even though he made an important point - Mara might discover that they had a daughter soon, if she hadn't already.

"She told me. She contacted me on a holoprojector I brought from Tattooine."

"Where is she?" Vader asked.

"I don't know. She and her family left Shili, and she didn't tell me where they went."

Padme thought about that. She looked up at Vader. "Maybe this is best. Ahsoka isn't there, so Mara won't find her. Is there any reason for you to pursue her now?"

"Not unless Mara discovers where she is," he answered.

Leia went back into the house. As soon as she was gone, Padme rested her forehead on Vader's shoulder and closed her eyes for a second. She wasn't comforted at all. She doubted that he would forget about this, even if his master wasn't interested in finding Ahsoka. He would most likely send Luke or one of his spies to search for her.

"Please," she muttered.

"Luke and I must deal with the Emperor soon. Ahsoka is of no concern at the moment."

Padme looked at the balcony entrance that Leia had just gone through, feeling disappointed. She had hoped that Vader and their daughter would talk for at least a little while longer.

"It's getting late. I'm going to rest."

He followed her inside.

* * *

When Luke reached the_ Executor_ the next day, he found Mara waiting in the hangar where they had first spoken last week. Something about her seemed odd. She greeted him with a smile as she walked over to the lowered boarding ramp of his ship.

"How are you?" she asked politely.

He stared at her briefly. She wore a long-sleeved, dark green dress that stopped above her knees, with black boots. He could feel that she was in a calm mood, and he wondered if her master had instructed her to be kind to him. He was not going to be deceived by her.

"Let's go," he said, agitated. Traveling with her for a mission that was probably unimportant, or nothing that she couldn't handle alone, was a waste of time. He would rather stay on Serenno in case Han, Lando, and Chewbacca decided to come there. Lando knew that the twins had recently visited the planet with a woman they met on Tattooine.

_Father will deal with them_, he thought.

Then he admitted to himself that he was worried about them facing Darth Vader.

At least he had his ship with him. Han and the other Rebels could only reach them on the holoprojector inside it, so they wouldn't be able to talk with Leia. His sister had purchased a handheld holoprojector while they were in Mos Eisley, but it as far as he knew, she hadn't used it to communicate with anyone before they left. Han might be unaware that she had it.

"The Emperor wants to see you on Imperial Center," Mara told him as they started to enter the ship.

He turned around suddenly, almost bumping into her. "What? You said we were going to Shili."

"We _are_, but now he wants to meet us at his palace first. He told me that _after_ I spoke to you yesterday," she explained patiently, but he sensed that she was annoyed.

He didn't detect any lies in what she said. "Fine. Come on."

As they sat down in the ship's cockpit, the change in plans reminded him of what he had done to Leia the other day - tricked her into thinking they were visiting Yoda. That was different, of course; he had done it because he loved her and wanted her to learn the truth about their father. Still, it made him feel that there was no reason to be irritable toward Mara. She was only following her master's orders; maybe she didn't want to go on this trip anymore than he did.

Looking over at her, he remembered that she wouldn't have to serve the Emperor much longer. He decided to talk with his father about her when he returned to Serenno. He had sensed her strength with the Force when they met. Vader would understand that she could be very useful if she agreed to join them.

* * *

When they landed on Imperial Center, Mara led him to an elevator on the first level of the Emperor's palace. Luke had considered contacting his father before they arrived, but changed his mind. He didn't want to seem as if he were bothered by having to visit Palpatine suddenly.

"Where do your parents live?" he asked after they stepped inside.

She raised her eyebrows slightly, surprised. They had talked a little on the way here, but mostly about her plans for Shili. Apparently her master wanted her to watch Prince Xizor again while he was staying at a house he owned there. Luke still believed that this was an excuse for her to observe him rather than Xizor. During the flight, she continued to be nicer than he expected; obviously as part of her act.

"My mother died after she gave birth to me. My father died a few years ago, when he was sick," she replied. "We used to live on Ryloth."

Luke guessed that the Emperor had found her after her father's death, but he didn't ask.

The elevators opened to a long hallway. Across from them was the entrance to a shorter one, which had two large doors at the end. Mara went over to a panel on the wall and punched a security code on the keypad.

The room was not very spacious, but the single large window had a decent view of the city. Other than the throne in front of it, the only furniture was a dark brown table in the center, with a few cushioned seats.

"Master." Mara approached the throne. She and Luke bowed.

He rose from the chair. "Thank you for coming, Skywalker. I haven't met with you since you decided to join your father."

Luke glanced at Mara, who didn't appear to be curious. She must have already been told who his father was.

"I have made the right decision," he said.

"Yes, you have. I am pleased that you understand."

Luke was eager to get this over with. "Mara was explaining that Prince Xizor owns a property on Shili..."

"That is correct. However, he is not important at the moment. I want you to go back to Serenno instead. Are you still keeping Princess Leia there?"

"I am." Now he was uneasy, and he realized that the other two would sense it. "The Rebels believe we are traveling together, but they might worry about us soon."

"I agree," the Emperor said. "However, your father and I don't have any need for her now. You can kill her when you return."

"Kill her? What if she could be useful?"

"We already have you to give us information about the Rebels. If the others do come looking for her, we will deal with them at the time."

Again, Luke looked at Mara. She was standing only two or three feet away, but he was closer to her master.

Quickly, he removed his lightsaber from his belt and ignited it. As soon as he tried to slash at the Emperor, she already had her own saber out. She struck at him and missed, but forced him to back away from both her and Palpatine.

Before she could attack him, he started to strike in her direction, as if he were trying to kill her first. Then he turned and stabbed into the Emperor's side instead. He felt the edge of Mara's blade burn his upper arm, but he moved away again before she could do more damage.

She tried using the Force to throw two of the chairs from the corner at him. He had already noticed her looking at them. He stepped to the side and avoided both. They hit the wall.

"He threatened my sister," he said.

"Your sister?" She sounded confused, as if she didn't know that Leia was his twin.

Once more, she tried moving the chairs at him, but this time she hurried to the door while he cut them with his lightsaber's blade. He waited a minute, then cautiously went out to the hallway. He didn't see her anywhere.

He was able to leave the building and get to his ship without running into her. Immediately he took off and headed back to the _Executor_. He would look for her later.


	13. Chapter 13

Author's note: I do this because it is fun for me, not to impress any of you. I agree that this story isn't great but since I've started it, I'm at least going to finish it after the next chapter or two. If you don't like it, please stop wasting your time and just don't read the rest.

**Chapter Thirteen**

Leia was outside on her room's balcony, staring down at the yard. It was dark except for a few lights that were positioned on some parts of the wall around the property. After telling her parents about Ahsoka the previous night, she had reconsidered leaving, but she decided again that it was pointless. She had no way to get to the nearest city, and Ahsoka's family was already hiding anyway. It was best to stay here.

She heard her bedroom door opening inside. Glancing behind her, she saw Padme. She hadn't left her room since last night, so her mother brought her breakfast and lunch earlier today. The two of them ate together at the small table on Leia's balcony. They only talked a little; mostly about Serenno and some of the places here. Padme didn't try to ask her any questions about Ahsoka.

"Luke has apparently killed the Emperor," she said, joining her on the balcony.

"I thought so. I saw the news on my viewscreen. It only said that the Emperor died." Leia had been slightly bored but didn't want to leave her room, so she watched a bit of a Falleen-language movie. She only understood a few words, but a brief announcement about Palpatine's death was shown in both Falleen and Basic.

"Oh. It didn't..." her mother stopped, as if she were hesitant for some reason.

"What?"

"I saw a different one. It stated that Darth Vader and his agent, Luke Skywalker, are now leading the Empire."

Leia briefly closed her eyes, frustrated. "The Rebels have probably seen it by now. They know that he betrayed them."

"Yes." Padme gazed out at the yard, in the direction of the hangar where the ships were kept. "I had a long discussion with your father just now, about Han."

"What did he say?"

"He suggested that you and I go back to Tatooine together. If Han agrees to return to the Executor with us, Vader will let him stay here with you."

Leia almost refused. She knew that Han wouldn't leave Lando and the others, and she preferred to keep him away from her father and brother. Then she considered the news bulletin that Padme had described. Han knew she was with Luke now. She could guess what he might be thinking - that she was in danger, or that she had also decided to leave the Rebellion.

"Fine," she muttered, "however, if they've heard about what Luke did, they may have left Tatooine already."

"I know, but I want to go anyway. Han is important to you. If he has gone somewhere else, then you'll know he's safe."

Leia turned and hugged her. "Thank you."

They both looked as they heard the sound of a ship in the sky above. As the hangar opened and the lights on the sides of the entrance came on, they saw that it was Vader and Padme's. Leia guessed that Vader had gone to his Star Destroyer after hearing about the Emperor. A moment later, Luke's ship also appeared.

"I'm going to talk to them. I hope your brother found Mara Jade," said Padme.

"I'll go with you." Leia didn't really want to, yet she was curious about why they trusted her to get Han. Padme was going to accompany her, but she had no Force abilities. Surely they realized that Leia could get away from her easily if she chose to...

_No. I can't do that, at least not now. She wanted to help me._

* * *

Luke stood in his ship for a minute after landing, thinking of what had happened during the day. Most of the news sources in the galaxy had reported that Vader, who was now in control of the Emperor, had a second-in-command named Luke Skywalker. Han and the others were aware that he had left the Rebellion.

When the boarding ramp lowered, he saw his sister approaching. He walked over to her.

"I'm glad that you are safe," she said quietly.

He kissed her cheek, knowing she was still unhappy. "The Emperor believed we were keeping you here as a prisoner. He ordered me to kill you."

There was the faint sound of a door opening behind them, inside the ship. Someone was coming from one of the back rooms - and Luke was not really surprised. Since he had only met Mara Jade a few times, he was not very sensitive to her presence. It was possible that she could have waited here for a while. She must have found a way back to the _Executor_ after he left her on Imperial Center.

"Luke," Leia whispered, watching as Mara came to the top of the boarding ramp. Her lightsaber was clipped to her belt, but she was holding a blaster.

"I'll shoot her if either of you move," she warned.

"Why?" asked Luke. "I already defeated the Emperor. My father is right outside this hangar. Are you going to fight both of us?"

She stared at them briefly, as if she were trying to think of something to do. Then she hurled the blaster in their direction. Leia simply stepped out of the way, but while they were distracted, Mara reached for her lightsaber and ignited it. She tried to run down the ramp, toward Luke.

He dodged her and jumped back from the ramp. Before she attacked, he glanced at Leia and saw her grab the blaster.

Mara quickly struck at him several times in a row. He blocked her, moving to the side twice. After watching carefully, Leia fired. The bolt hit Mara in her back.

Once she was on the floor, he waited another moment before picking her up.

"I'll take her to the house," he said.

His sister nodded. She looked down at the blaster she was still holding and dropped it, then followed him out of the hangar.

* * *

Inside, Luke told her that he needed to speak with their father about something. Leia somehow got the impression that he was worried, even though he had easily stopped Mara from harming her. She offered to watch Mara until she woke up.

Luke gently set her down on Leia's bed, then left. He had her lightsaber and her blaster was still out in the hangar. Before using it, Leia had checked the setting and noticed that it was already on "stun", meaning that Mara didn't intend to kill her - unless she had just been planning to deal with Luke first.

Almost half an hour went by. Leia turned her viewscreen on and browsed through several channels. A couple of them were displaying the same news report about the Emperor's death. She turned it off and went to her room's refresher, where she dampened a cloth with cold water. There was a small burn on one of Mara's arms; Luke's lightsaber blade had touched it once.

She heard her holoprojector beep. It had been on the table next to her bed all day. Now that her parents knew about Ahsoka, she hadn't bothered to hide it anymore. Hurrying, she sat down on the edge of the bed and turned it on. Mara still hadn't moved.

"Han!" she exclaimed when his image formed. So far, she had thought that he couldn't reach her on this holoprojector - she had purchased it while he was still trapped in carbonite, and she couldn't recall telling him about it before she and Luke left Tatooine. She had been afraid to contact him herself in case he might mention it to her brother. Before the news of Palpatine's death was released today, he still believed - as far as she knew - that the twins were staying with Yoda.

"Leia," he said in a flat tone. Apparently he was not as excited.

She realized why. "Han, I can't talk long; Luke might be back at any moment. I want you to know that I don't support the Empire. He decided to join Vader, _not me_. Are you still at the house in Mos Espa?"

"For now."

"Please stay there. I'll be there tomorrow."

"Vader and Luke are going to let you to travel alone? They don't think you'll disappear?"

"My friend, Padme, is bringing me," Leia said. She was being dishonest - giving him the idea that she was secretly leaving - and she hated doing that, but she couldn't explain everything right now.

"The woman you met on Tattooine?" Han asked, still sounding cautious. "I thought you didn't trust her."

"I do now. I'll tell you about it later. Will you meet me there?"

"Yes. Chewbacca and I..." Han paused. "We have the Millenium Falcon with us. As soon as you get here, we can go anywhere you want."

Leia would have liked that idea, but then she remembered Padme.

"We'll think of something tomorrow. I had better go before Luke comes back," she said. "I love you."

"I know."

Leia smiled and shut the holoprojector off. When she looked at Mara, she saw that her eyes were open. She was startled at first, wondering if Mara had listened to the whole conversation. It was unlikely that she would want to help Luke by informing him of it, but she wasn't on Leia's side either.

"Here." She took a bottle of water from the table beside the bed and handed it to her, just as a buzz came from the door.

Mara slowly sat up. She drank some of the water and was silent as Leia let Luke into the room. She turned her head toward the entrance to the balcony and studied it for a moment.

"I'll leave you alone," Leia told her brother. She picked up her holoprojector, wanting to keep it with her in case Han - or maybe Ahsoka - tried to reach her again. He didn't seem to notice.


	14. Chapter 14

dlsky, I love dance, and allison lightning - Thanks.

**Chapter Fourteen**

"What do you want?" Mara asked when they were alone.

She looked behind Luke, who was standing near the opposite side of Leia's bed. He knew that she was staring at the balcony door again.

"You are the one that hid in my ship, then threatened to shoot my sister." He turned and walked over to the small panel of buttons beside the door, then quickly typed in the security code, locking it.

"I wasn't going to kill her. My blaster was on 'stun'."

"I know. She told me it was already set before she fired at you. You only intended to kill me."

Mara sat up straight, but didn't move from the bed. She lowered her eyes to the floor. He felt much anger in her, but also confusion. He wondered if she had been worried after he chose to join the Empire. Even before he began to mentally communicate with Vader, on Tattooine, he was wary of the Emperor trying to turn him against his father. It was doubtful that Palpatine had any interest in making Mara his official apprentice. He was focused on turning Luke, and she must have realized that.

When she didn't respond, he added, "This is better for you as well. I spoke to my father about you."

"No!" she snapped, apparently understanding what he meant. "Give me my lightsaber back and let me go. I will not try to fight you, and I will not come back to Serenno. I promise."

Luke sensed that she was being truthful, but he understood what she was saying - she wouldn't try to fight him _here_. It didn't necessarily mean that he wouldn't see her somewhere else.

Ignoring her offer, he asked, "Do you have any family on Ryloth? You told me that you lived there with your father."

"Why do you care if I do or not?"

"I wanted to help you, Mara," he said in a more frustrated tone. "Do you really think you would have been important to Palpatine after..."

"You don't know that!" she interrupted. "Leave me alone."

She stood and went into the room's refresher, closing the door behind her. He took her lightsaber from inside his cloak and left it on the table next to the bed.

* * *

Padme and Leia planned to travel to Tatooine the next morning. Before going, Padme wanted to leave some extra clothes for Mara Jade; the girl would most likely be here for a while. Vader had told her that Luke hoped to persuade Mara to work with them. She was displeased after hearing that - he sensed it. She had also been strangely disappointed after he shared the idea of her returning to Tattooine with Leia, even though it was her who wanted to find a way for their daughter to be with Han.

_Because she does not want Solo to leave the Rebels. She wants me to give up the Dark Side instead_, he thought, watching as she came out of their walk-in closet. When she passed by him, he touched her shoulder. She turned and he leaned foward to kiss her. As she pressed her mouth against his, he continued to feel her sadness. Ever since they formed their plan for her to meet the twins in Mos Eisley, he had believed she would be finally be happier with their lives. Now he was uncertain again.

After they parted, she stood close to him for a moment, deep in thought. He detected a trace of fear in her.

"We'll stay out of Mos Espa, so no one will see Leia," she said. "Now that Luke is known as your second-in-command, the Rebels are probably searching for her."

Vader knew that was not the main reason for her worry. "You think she will leave you."

She sighed. "Yes. I can't stop her if she decides to hide somewhere with Han. I was surprised when you suggested this. Aren't you concerned at all?"

"No, I am not," he answered, "because she cares about you."

Padme's mood was slightly better. "Have you sensed it?"

"Yes."

"She loves Han. She'll do what is best for him and their friends in the Rebellion, even if she has to upset me."

There was a buzz from the door. She started to go over to it, but Vader raised his hand and used the Force to press the button. Leia stepped into the room, staring at him briefly - she hadn't seen him without his armor before. He was wearing a sleeveless black shirt and black pants.

"Luke wants to talk with you," she told him. "He's downstairs. Mara is still in my room."

"Thank you," he said.

She gave him a faint, awkard smile, perhaps because he was allowing her to meet with Han. He knew that she was still angry at him.

_"And now, your Highness, we will discuss the location of your hidden Rebel base."_

He looked at Padme. "You should go soon. I want you to reach Tatooine before it is night there."

She nodded. She kissed him again, then left the room with Leia. He was about to follow them when he suddenly felt Ahsoka's presence.

* * *

Mara Jade went over to the bedroom's window as she heard a ship taking off. She saw that it was Padme's. Ten or fifteen minutes ago, Leia had returned - she slept somewhere else last night while Mara stayed in here - and packed a bag from her closet. She gave Mara a couple of nutrition bars, along with some clothes from Padme. Mara thanked her and said nothing else. She wanted to know if Darth Vader or Luke was going to accompany her, since it would be easier to escape while only one of them was around, but she didn't bother asking.

When she turned around, she noticed her lightsaber on the table beside the bed.

Luke must have put it there the previous night. While in the refresher then, she took a quick shower and dried her hair. Although she had just recovered from being stunned by the blaster, she was exhausted. She hadn't rested while hiding in one of the back storage rooms of his ship. She lay down on the bed again and fell asleep.

She hesitated before picking the saber up. Maybe this was some sort of trick; he might be expecting her to attack or try to get away from the house. It would be better to wait until she found out whether he or his father had gone with Leia.

Cautiously, she walked over to the bedroom door and tried the button that opened it. Luke hadn't secured it, which made her more wary. She didn't see him in the hallway, but she heard his voice coming from the lower level of the house, as well as the sound of Vader's breathing.

"I don't think Leia would want Ahsoka to come here," Luke was saying.

"Neither do I, but if your sister told her that we are on Serenno, she may have decided to."

Mara went down the stairs and entered the living room, where they were standing. She approached them slowly.

"Are you talking about Ahsoka Tano?" she inquired.

Luke looked at her. "How did you know?"

"The Emperor told me that she is one of the remaining Jedi. He sent me to look for her on Ord Mantell, a year or two ago, but I only found an empty apartment that she used to live in," she explained politely. She wanted to give the impression that she had decided to cooperate with them.

At first, they were quiet.

"Father, let me take care of this while you are on the Executor," Luke suggested. "I will keep Mara with me. She won't try to escape."

"Do you believe that?" he asked, as if she weren't in the room.

"Yes. She could have tried last night, and she didn't."

Mara was pleased. He thought she had _chosen_ to stay here after he returned her weapon. Of course, the truth was that she had just seen it in Leia's room this morning. As soon as his father was gone, she would get away from him. It might take her a day or more to walk to the closest city - she didn't know exactly where it was, or how far - but she would deal with that later.

"Very well. I will take your ship," said Vader.

He left without saying anything to Mara. She waited as he and Luke went through the house's back entrance, toward the hangar at the opposite end of the property. Once they were almost halfway there, she went upstairs to get her lightsaber.

* * *

Padme was apprehensive. She had almost enjoyed the first two or three hours of the flight. She spent most of the time telling her daughter about some missions that she, Anakin and Ahsoka had been involved in during the Clone Wars. Leia even shared some of what she knew about Ahsoka's life now. She had a teenage daughter as well as the one who had been born recently. When she first saw the twins at her aunt and uncle's home, her husband, who was a few years older, mentioned that he had met several Jedi. His father had occasionally repaired the transport and battle ships at the Temple. Luke was intrigued by that at the time, before he began communicating with Darth Vader. Ahsoka hadn't revealed that she was actually a Jedi herself.

"I appreciate this," Leia told her after they landed. "Are you alright?"

She didn't answer that. "Do you want me to wait here?"

"Yes. I told Han that I trust you now, but he didn't seem to like the idea of you bringing me here. Maybe I should talk to him alone first."

She nodded, staring at the front window of the ship. The _Millenium Falcon_ was in the distance, beyond the house, but no one was outside. Tears formed in her eyes. She had wanted to help her daughter, and at the same time, she hated the idea of forcing Han to come to a Star Destroyer in order to be with Leia. She doubted that he would agree to it, and she realized that Leia wouldn't want him to, for his own protection.

As the boarding ramp lowered, Leia came over and hugged her.

There was the sound of a speeder outside. It appeared to approaching from behind the ship. Leia went to the open ramp, then gestured for Padme to follow her.

A female Togruta had stopped next to the house. Padme was startled at first, thinking it was Ahsoka. Then the girl looked in their direction and she saw that there weren't as many white markings on her face. Her montrals and head-tails were somewhat small. She appeared to be around fifteen or sixteen. A lightsaber was in one of her hands; she must have been trained by someone...

"That's her daughter, Crystal," Leia whispered. "She showed me an image of her before. I don't know what she's doing here."

Padme remembered that Ahsoka's aunt and uncle owned the Mos Eisley apartment where she had stayed with the twins. She guessed that their niece had spoken to Han, but that was strange. Ahsoka knew it was dangerous for her and her family to come here - it was one of the first places that Luke or Vader would think of.

"Hello," Leia called. She appeared to be as confused as Padme. "Crystal?"

Before the girl could reply, Lando came out of the house. He glanced at her, then at Padme. He still believed that she was the strange woman who had followed the twins while they were in Mos Eisley. Certainly the fact that his friend was traveling with her made him uneasy.

"Where's Han?" Leia demanded. "He told me that he was here."

"He's waiting for you in the Falcon. The two of you can leave right away," Crystal said quietly. Her fingers tightened around the lightsaber, but she didn't turn it on.

"I don't want to go anywhere. I came here to talk to him. Did your parents send you?"

"My father is here also. He's in the Falcon."

"Leia, please go now, while you have a chance," Lando urged. "Vader and Luke could be on their way already."

Padme realized what he was hinting at. "You think I've betrayed her to them."

"Maybe."

Leia gave him an angry glare. She was silent for a moment.

"We'll go back to our ship," she said. "If Han does not meet us there, alone, we are leaving. Tell him that I have my holoprojector."

"Leia, do you..." Padme began, worried that her daughter would regret this. She was annoyed by Lando's accusation of her, yet she really couldn't blame him for being suspicious, especially after Luke had left the Rebellion.

"Come on," Leia insisted.

The others didn't protest as they walked away. Not long after they were inside the ship, Leia's holoprojector beeped. Padme listened as Han agreed to come and talk with her. She saw a tear sliding down her face.

* * *

Mara and Luke were just now leaving - she had waited in her Leia's room for over three hours before Luke finally came to the door. During that time, she put on a brown cloak that she found in Leia's closet, over the short green dress she was still wearing from the trip to the Emperor's palace. She said something to Luke about the weather being chilly, which was true, though she actually meant to hide her lightsaber.

He didn't seem to care; he didn't respond to her at all. She sensed that he was in an irritable mood. He had been calm when she spoke to him and Darth Vader earlier, which made her doubt that she was bothering him now. Perhaps he was concerned about his mother and sister.

"Are we going to the city?" she asked, following him outside. His speeder was in front of the hangar.

"To the outer area of it. My father believes that Ahsoka might have headed there first."

"How far is it?"

Luke didn't answer, but that was fine with her. As soon as they were both in the speeder, she grabbed her saber from underneath the cloak. She was able to ignite it and hold the blade across his chest, blocking his arms, before he could attempt to stop her or move away.

"Get out," she told him. "I'm going to find a transport ship station. If you tell me where one is, I'll leave the speeder there and you..."

She stopped as two large rocks sped toward her. She raised the blade and cut both of them. Part of one hit her shoulder, and Luke took the opportunity to activate his own weapon. He held his saber's blade in front of her throat. Frustrated, she turned hers off and handed it to him.

As they rode away, she thought about something he had asked her the previous night.

"No. I don't have any family on Ryloth," she muttered, not really expecting him to comment.

"I want to help you," he reminded her. He reached over and rested his hand on her shoulder.

He was still irritated. Even though she had attacked him just now, she continued to suspect that something else was wrong, but she didn't pry. Carefully, she leaned over and kissed his cheek.


	15. Chapter 15

Author's note: The dividers/lines that I was using between scenes disappeared from my past chapters, at least on my computer. I've fixed them now so hopefully they will stay. The next chapter will be longer. I wanted to go ahead and upload this part.

**Chapter Fifteen**

Luke stopped the speeder shortly after Mara spotted the small city in the distance. There were two ships flying off from there, but he was focusing on one that was already far away, almost out of sight. It seemed to be a bronze color. He grabbed a pair of electrobinoculars that were lying on the speeder's back seat. The ship disappeared a couple of seconds later.

"Is that hers?" Mara asked. She was still sitting close to him. After she had kissed his cheek earlier, he turned and lightly kissed her mouth in return, yet she sensed that he was displeased. For much of the ride she had been quiet except for asking a few questions about Ahsoka. Maybe he suspected that she was trying to trick him.

Looking at the city ahead, she realized that this might be a better opportunity to get away. She already thinking that kissing him could have been a mistake. He spoke about wanting to help her, but she wasn't sure about what he meant. She wondered if he actually wanted to help himself and Darth Vader by convincing her to work for them. She had already refused when he tried to talk to her about it last night, but now that she had kissed him, he might believe she was considering it.

"Yes," he told her, setting the electrobinoculars on the back seat again. "She must have sensed that my father left."

"Maybe she'll try to confront him on the Executor."

"No. I think she came here to see Leia or my mother. She probably saw my mother's ship leave."

Mara hoped that Ahsoka wouldn't come back. She didn't know her and didn't want to be involved in Vader and Luke's hunt. At the house, she had chosen to mention that mission for the Emperor because it wouldn't give them any clues about where Ahsoka was currently. Mara doubted that the Jedi ever went to the apartment she had found on Ord Mantell.

He touched her hand and she glanced at him. Not only did she sense that he was attracted to her, she also felt that he was still disturbed by something. He had been in the same distant, unpleasant mood for the past hour or so. She didn't move as he leaned over and kissed her again.

"I'll take you to the city," he said. "It has a transport station."

"I'm not going to search for Ahsoka."

"I want to keep you away from my father."

"What do you mean?" Mara was confused. If Vader wanted to kill her, why hadn't he done it when she spoke to him and Luke earlier, before he went to the _Executor_?

"I know you won't agree to serve him," Luke replied, almost whispering.

"You are right. I _won't_. Are you worried that he'll get rid of me?"

"Yes." He removed her lightsaber from his belt and handed it to her. Then he reached into a compartment underneath his seat and got a comlink. "Tell me when you've left Serenno."

She hesitated before taking the two items. "Your father will want to know why you let me..."

"I'll deal with that," he interrupted, letting go of her hand. He started the speeder again.

She still felt uneasy about this, although she could feel that he was being truthful. Even if Vader sent him or a spy after her, she could at least be on another planet by then. She had a credit chip with her. There was enough money to pay for a ride on a transport to somewhere and then buy a new ship - her other one was still on the_ Executor_. She had no way of getting there. One option was secretly traveling back to the house, waiting for Vader to return with Luke's ship, then hiding on it again. That would be very risky.

"You and Leia can stay with me. I'll let you know where I'm going and we can meet," she offered.

"No. I have to help my mother."

"Help her?"

He didn't explain. She wasn't going to ask any more questions. It was best for her to take this chance. He was kind to her now, while Vader wasn't here, but his father might change his mind. She was uncertain about Leia as well. She could also be different if their father was able to influence her soon.

"Thank you," Mara said. She planned to throw the comlink away somewhere without contacting him.

He paused the speeder when they reached the edge of a lot, which was empty except for two speeder bikes. A Twi'lek woman and a Rattataki couple came from one entrance and walked toward the city without paying attention to them. Mara still waited until she saw them enter a restaurant.

She kissed him once more. This time she leaned back after a brief moment. She wanted to hurry. He must have detected the change in her attitude. She grasped her lightsaber in her hand, under her cloak, as she entered the lot and headed for an information building at the opposite end. He didn't attempt to stop her. When she was almost there, she heard him ride away.

* * *

Padme spoke with Vader on her ship's holoprojector after she departed. She arrived at the _Executor_ less than four hours later. He had already instructed the officers to move toward Tattooine earlier.

She came to his chambers by herself. He already knew that Leia was no longer with her, although she hadn't mentioned it before. He didn't feel their daughter's presence when her ship approached the Star Destroyer just now. When she entered the main room, where he was waiting, she sighed and sat down on a bench seat that was built into one wall. He went over to her.

"Leia is still with Han. She promised me they would spend the night at the house in Mos Espa," she informed him, looking into his mask's eyes; he was wearing his armor. "Then they'll come to Serenno."

"We agreed that she would bring him here."

She started to reply, but she stopped when he turned his back to her and gazed at the closed entrance to the room. He had just sensed that Ahsoka was near here, in her ship.

Apparently she hadn't remained on Serenno for long, and had managed to avoid Luke while she was there. He guessed she was going to Mos Espa - where she might be meeting with his daughter and Han. Something that Padme had pointed out came to his mind: even if Leia had become closer to her, she would want to do what was best for Han and their friends.

"What is it?" His wife stood.

"I want to stay on Geonosis tonight," he answered. He faced her again and took her into his arms. "You can leave our ship here. I have Luke's."

"Alright."

He decided not to reveal everything to her yet. She was still unaware that Ahsoka had been near their house this morning. He realized that it would be easy to confront the Jedi now, but he preferred not to do that while Padme was with him. She was already concerned about the situation with Han, and she would be surprised when he wanted to go to Tattooine. He considered sending Luke or one of his spies to follow Ahsoka instead, to see if she would travel to a different planet.

_"Is my mother here?"_

_"No, she's not. Cliegg Lars - Shmi is my wife."_

"Did Han demand that you leave Leia with him?" he asked.

"It was her idea. I wanted to show her that we trust her," Padme's voice had a bit of frustration. "Let's go. I want to rest on the ship."

He released her from his arms and they went to the hangar area. As soon as they landed on Geonosis, a few miles from the Imperial base, he discovered that he had been incorrect when he assumed that Ahsoka was going to Tattooine. She was actually here.


End file.
